And What Yomi Found There
by Lycoson
Summary: Yomi finds herself in a world like and unlike her own; where old friends don't recognize her. an OVA/Anime crossover, following OVA-Yomi's point of view.
1. Chapter 1: The Mirror House

Chapter One: The Mirror House

It was…wrong. Yomi could tell that much. She had not even opened her eyes, and she could already tell that. She could not figure out exactly what about it was not right, but it was painfully obvious that something was. The room around her did not sound any different; the subtle swish of the cars passing by her house was just the same as it always was. Nor was it the sheets, freshly laundered though they were. The smell was the same, recently cleaned smell that had been there when she had gone to bed. And yet the sounds of the cars, the feel of the sheets, the smell of the air, all of it was different somehow. She could feel it. Her very body felt, somehow, _wrong_.

Yomi opened her eyes. The room around her was blurry, but it seemed normal. She probably was still partly sleepy. She rubbed her eyes, then blinked. Still blurry. What was with this? No matter how many times she rubbed her eyes, she could not get them to focus properly.

Finally, through her blurred vision, she saw a pair of glasses neatly folded on the bedside table. Had they been there before? They couldn't possibly be for her. She had never worn glasses; she had never needed to. Yomi tried them on. They fit perfectly, leaving her vision crystal clear. What the hell was going on here?

The room was laid out almost the same as hers; there was a desk where her desk would have been, shelves of dolls where she had shelves of dolls, curtains on the tall windows, and even a nightstand beside the bed. The differences were all in details; different patterning on the desk and different curtains. It was as if someone had tried to reconstruct her room, but could not find exact matches of any of the furniture.

She crawled slowly out of bed and stood, her white nightgown covering her down to her knees. That at least was the same. It gave her one point of stability, encouraging her to explore further. On the desk was a picturebook with a bird on the front cover. Next to it was a half-eaten box of multi-colored macaroons. Those things certainly had not been there when she went to bed. She looked around, desperately searching for something else that was where and what it was supposed to be. China dolls? Not hers. School bag and Textbooks? No. Uniform? Completely wrong. Phone? No strap—and much newer. Books? Not a single German book on the entire shelf. Was nothing what it was supposed to be except her? And then she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

She was wearing glasses of course, but it was more than that. She was shorter, younger. All of the lines in her face were softer and less defined. Even she was not what she was supposed to be. Her head spun, and she would have passed out if she had not steadied herself with the edge of the desk.

Yomi heard the creak of the door as someone opened it halfway. "Yomi, it's time for school," he mother said.

Yomi spun on the spot, sighing with relief to hear the familiar sound. "Sorry, I was just getting ready to—" She stopped. "Mom? Are you…alright?" Her mother looked haggard, tired as if she had not slept in days.

Mrs. Takanashi's eyebrows raised. "I'm…fine. Why?"

"It's…nothing." _She must still be exhausted from worrying about me_, Yomi thought. Instinctively, she walked over and hugged her mother comfortingly. "It's okay mom. I'm alright now. I won't do anything like that again."

"It's…all…right?" her mother said.

"You and father must have been so scared, but I'm back now and I'm fine. I'll never do something like that again."

"Do what, exactly?"

Yomi stiffened. Surely her mother could not have forgotten Yomi disappearing. She had called the police, and made such a scene after Yomi returned that there was no way she could not remember any of it.

Yomi drew away. "It's nothing. I'll get ready for school now."

Mrs. Takanashi began to leave, clearly confused. Then, just as she was ready to close the door, she stuck her head back in. "By the way, Kagari is coming over. She'll be here when you get back."

"Kagari?" Yomi asked. Who was Kagari?

"Kagari," Mrs. Takanashi replied, then shut the door.

Yomi walked unsteadily over to the far side of her room. She slumped down against the bed, biting on her thumb to keep herself from screaming. Why had this happened? Just yesterday she had spent a nice, normal afternoon with Mato. They had gone to see a film together after the end of Volleyball practice. The two of them had talked about how young all of the first-year students had seemed. Now nothing was certain. The entire world had become strange.

An image came unbidden into her mind; that of a girl dressed entirely in black and surrounded by chains. She had a pair of horns on her head, while her eyes glowed bright green. In her clawed, skeletal hands she carried a wickedly curved scythe. She was silently calling to Yomi, like she had once before.

Yomi took several deep breaths to calm herself. No. She would not let herself be pulled into that world for a second time. She refused to become Dead Master again. What she had to do was do the best she could, and act like nothing had happened.

Yomi dressed in the odd school uniform, and was on her way to school within five minutes.


	2. Chapter 2:Farther Into the Looking Glass

Chapter Two: Farther Into the Looking Glass

At least the school was in the right place, she thought as she rushed inside. That was lucky for her. She recognized a number of her classmates as she worked her way towards her shoe locker. They were all dressed in the same uniform she was, so that was a good sign. She was in the right place. Still, the trip over had not been exactly free of trouble.

She had waited as long as she dared to before realizing that Mato for some reason had not waited for her. That in itself was worrying to her. Why was Mato not there? The two of them always took the train together in the morning; they had since the day after they met. Yomi could have lived with any number of changes, if only she could still be with Mato.

Yomi slowly and methodically put on her indoor shoes. She then placed her outdoor shoes in the locker and shut it. She couldn't let this overwhelm her. It could drive her insane.

As she picked up her book bag and began to head inside, a thought suddenly occurred to her. If so many other things were different, then what about her classroom? With so little left that she could count on, she could easily find herself in the wrong class. Looking around her in the main hallway, she saw a number of people, all of them rushing off to their classes. At least one of them should be able to point her in the right direction.

"Excuse me, teacher?" She said to one of the teachers.

The teacher, a man Yomi recognized as the Basketball team's faculty sponsor, turned to regard the young girl in front of him. "Yes, Miss…"

"Takanashi, sir. I'm a little confused this morning. I can't remember which classroom is mine."

The teacher frowned. "You're in the same class as Miss Kuroi, if I remember right. Classroom 1-B."

Yomi bowed. "Thank you sir."

"Well, see that you write it down somewhere in case you forget again. At this point in the semester, you should remember where your classroom is."

Yomi let the implications of the teacher's answer wash over her. 1-B. First year. Had that much of her life really not happened? That would explain why she looked younger, certainly. Still, she did not like the idea that she had somehow lost a year of her life on top of all the other changes.

"Something troubling you?" someone asked. Yomi wheeled on the spot. A woman in her mid-twenties with short black hair was leaning out of an open room. She wore a pink jacket, atypical for any teacher Yomi had ever met.

"N-No. No, I'm fine." She scrutinized the woman for a long moment. Yomi certainly did not remember seeing her before. "I'm sorry, but who are you exactly?"

The woman smiled warmly. "I'm Saya; the school counselor! If there's anything troubling you, feel free to step in." Saya looked over Yomi's face. "Are you quite sure you're alright?"

Something troubling her. How could Yomi put it into words? What could she say that this woman would understand? That she was trapped alone in a strange world? That her closest friend, the only one who could possibly understand, had not waited for her? And then that feeling inside her began again. The horned girl was calling Yomi…

Dead Master walked through the checkered landscape. Cliffs and spires broke the monotony of the plane, bringing disorder to the otherwise tight grid. Had that world always been this colorful? Yomi could not quite remember.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dead Master caught a glimpse of movement. Someone else was there on the cliff watching her. Dead Master pretended to ignore the figure, but actually watched it out of the corner of her eye. It darted between shadows, keeping itself partially concealed. Dead Master waited until the figure moved to an area where the cliff top was relatively flat. Then, she spun to face the one shadowing her. Their eyes locked on one another.

It was a girl, older than Dead Master herself. Long black hair framed her pale face. Her red eyes blazed from the girl's expressionless face. On her head were two long, straight horns, curving inward then flaring outward. Her dress was similar in many ways to that other girl; bikini top, short shorts, jacket. Slung across her back, the girl carried an enormous sword.

Chains shot toward the figure, guided by Dead Master's thought. The red-eyed girl twisted at the last second, letting the chains fly past her shoulder. With a flip of her hair, she dropped below the far edge of the cliff. Dead Master smiled. With a flourish she produced her scythe. Then, stepping out onto the still-moving chain, Dead Master followed after the retreating girl.

Yomi nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little confused today."

Saya gave Yomi an odd look that Yomi could not quite read. "Well, if you ever need anything, feel free to stop by. My door is open anytime, even if you only come by for a cup of coffee." Saya's smile was back in place, but Yomi could not shake the memory of that odd, slightly shocked expression.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." At that instant, Yomi heard the first bell. "Nice to meet you!" Yomi called back as she rushed off in the direction of 1-B.

When Yomi reached the door of 1-B, all of the desks except one were filled. No question which one was supposed to be hers, she thought. She scanned the room for one particular head with short black twintails. That teacher had said Mato was in this class as well.

There she was; two rows in front of the empty seat. She looked younger, the same way Yomi did in the mirror, and she was wearing the same uniform as the other girls, but Yomi could never mistake the face of her closest friend. Yomi walked over and dropped her bag in the empty seat before walking up to Mato's desk.

Mato looked up as Yomi approached. "Oh, good morning! How are you?"

"Why didn't you wait for me at the station?" Yomi asked.

Mato blinked. "Wait for you?"

"We always walk to school together! Ever since the beginning of Junior High!"

"What?"

"I waited for you to come. I waited as long as I could. Why weren't you there?"

"Takanashi-san, what are you talking about?"

Yomi's breath caught. "T-Takanashi-san?" Why? Why was Mato being so formal with her?

"Is there something wrong?"

"Why…why don't you call me Yomi?"

Mato looked confused. "You want to be friends now? Yesterday you acted like you didn't want to. Did you change your mind?"

Yomi looked down. This girl was Mato, certainly, but not _her_ Mato. "It's nothing." Yomi turned back to her desk, pulling out her notebook and pencils.

Mato stood up and leaned over to her, trying to get Yomi's attention. "Hey! If you want me to take the train with you, I'll wait tomorrow! Hello? Takanas…sorry, Yomi-chan!"

At that moment, the door slid open and the teacher walked in. Mato sat back down. Yomi sighed to herself.


	3. Chapter 3: The Chariot

I would just like to take a moment to thank all four of you who have written reviews so far, and all of those watching. It's really encouraging to get feedback right away.

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><p>Chapter Three: The Chariot<p>

Yomi went home directly after school. She knew she probably had a club meeting, but right now she needed some time alone. If she was still there the next day, she could go wherever she needed to and apologize.

Yomi walked in the front door of her house, carelessly slipping her shoes off. She made it as far as the living room, where she slumped face-down onto the couch. She did not cry, scream, or show emotion in any way. It was not the time for that. All she did was lie there face down, perfectly still. In an uncharacteristically childish way, Yomi hoped that by staying there she would not have to deal with the new world anymore; that she would not find any more changes.

"You're home early."

Yomi jumped at the sound of the voice. Lost in her own thoughts, she had not noticed anyone else in the room. Now she could see a blonde girl. She was sitting just beyond the couch in a wheelchair. She had a pile of things on her lap, holding a doll in a red dress on top of the pile.

"What's the matter, nothing to say?

"Oh! Where did you come from?"

"That's rude, not even realizing someone's there. I was waiting for you to come home you know. All alone."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The girl glared at her. "That isn't funny, Yomi."

"What isn't?"

"You know who I am."

"Sorry, no."

The girl looked down at the doll in her lap. "Hey Mary, Yomi says she doesn't remember who I am."

Moving the doll's arms, the girl replied to her own comment in a different voice. "She's lying, Kagari-chan! No one could forget you! Especially not Yomi, after what she did to you!"

"That's right, Mary. And we don't like it when Yomi lies to us, do we?"

"Liar! Liar! Liar!"

Dead Master lightly hopped off the end of the chain just before it struck a cliff wall. She had chased the red-eyed girl into this maze. She had to be somewhere nearby, certainly. However, Dead Master had lost sight of the girl as she had darted into the maze. She walked along the passage that looked most promising to her. Her heels clicking against the stone floor was the only sound that could be heard.

She had no more than a fraction of a second's warning. From a side passage burst an enormous mechanized spider, carrying behind it a Chariot. Dead Master tried to dodge out of the way, but found herself entangled in the creature's legs. Two of them struck her body, crushing her to the ground. Behind them came the wheels of the chariot; as large as those of a locomotive and made of steel.

In the instant before the wheel of the chariot reached her, Dead Master pulled herself out of the way with one of her chains. The chariot passed her by, just barely missing Dead Master's legs. As it rolled down the passageway, She caught a glimpse of a blonde girl riding in the back of the chariot. Dead Master stood, picked up her scythe, and readied herself for another attack.

"Please, stop it! Stop it!"

The girl relented. "Say my name!"

"Your…name?"

"Don't be an idiot. Say. My. Name."

"Ka…Kagari…chan?" That was what the girl had said, right?

Kagari smiled. "Very good, Yomi." She lifted a brightly-colored box from beneath "Mary." She showed it to Yomi. "I brought Macarons. We can share them while we watch TV."

Yomi stood up to switch on the television. She had known this girl a total of thirty seconds, and already she was drawing conclusions about this Kagari girl. First, it was clear she was emotionally unbalanced, though why that was Yomi had no idea. Second, The fact that she had been let into Yomi's house meant that she was someone Yomi was supposed to know. Yomi shivered; She did not like what knowing this girl implied about her own character.

The chariot was returning; the blonde girl must have found an intersection to turn around in. Wherever that red-eyed girl had gone, This had now turned into a fight. Dead Master gripped her scythe tighter and smiled. If it was a fight this other girl wanted, then it would be a fight she would get.

Dead Master Swung her scythe at the face of the robotic monster bearing down on her. It connected, chipping the face of the monster, but did nothing to slow its advance. Dead Master Threw all of her strength into resisting the push, but felt herself sliding backward. She felt her back hit a wall, then the wall behind her give way. This creature intended to crush her.

"Hey are you spacing out again? This is a really good show! Look! The leopard totally just caught that stupid antelope!"

Yomi simply watched her lap. A small pile of Macarons sat in front of her, only a few of which Yomi had eaten. "Mato…"

"What was that?"

A single tear fell from Yomi's eye. "Where did you go, Mato?"

Kagari glared at her. "That girl again?" Yomi simply let another tear fall. Kagari sighed. She reached for Yomi's top button. "Come here. You're suffering. I'll make it go away."

Yomi slapped Kagari's hand away from her coat.

"What's the matter with you today?" Kagari snapped. "Don't look at me like that; like you're afraid!"

"Why are you doing this?" Yomi pleaded, "Who are you?"

"You're the one that put me in this chair!" Kagari screamed "You Bitch! I can't do anything without you now!"

The wake of Kagari's last comment left a buzzing in Yomi's brain. She could not think of anything to say, and even if she had, her mouth would not have let her.

Then suddenly, Kagari was composed again. Her voice was absolutely calm. "I'm going home."

"Kagari-chan…"

"I'll come over tomorrow. You better be in a good mood."

The instant that Yomi's mother had come and wheeled Kagari out of the room, Yomi pressed her face against one of the couch's throw pillows and screamed.

_Disappear._

Yomi sat in class the next day; not really paying attention to anything that was said. She simply sketched on the page of her notebook, not even focusing on what she was drawing.

_Disappear. _

Breaks came and went and nothing changed.

_Vanish. _

Yomi had done it once before. Was that other world really so bad?

_Come with me. _

It had been so easy that time. She knew Dead Master would do it. And this time, Yomi could stay there. Forever.

The bell for lunch sounded. there was the sound of scraping chairs as the rest of the class stood, some leaving to eat outside, others finding their friends' desks. All the time, Yomi continued to draw.

"Good afternoon!" It was Mato's voice. Mato looked over Yomi's shoulder. "That's really good, Yomi-chan!"

Yomi responded without really thinking. "Thanks."

"She's cute in that dress. Are those horns on her head?"

That got Yomi's attention. She focused on what she had been sketching. Dead Master stared out at her from the page, that condescending smile on her face.

With a crash Yomi was out of her chair and out the door. She ran, paying no attention to the people who turned as she passed them. She had to get away from that mocking face. She wanted to run until she left this strange world behind.

Yomi tripped, then crawled over to the edge of the hallway. She sat there, curled up against the wall, rocking back and forth. She muttered to herself, "Mein gott…Mein gott…Dem nicht so ist" over and over again. It had been a long time since Yomi had said anything in German.

"Are you alright?" a kind female voice asked. Yomi looked up to see Saya standing over her. Saya crouched, offering Yomi her hand. "Come, I'll make you a cup of coffee."


	4. Chapter 4: The Red Queen

Chapter Four: The Red Queen

"Do you prefer coffee or tea? sugar and cream?" Saya stood by the counter inside the counseling room, a box of instant coffee in one hand.

"Tea, please. Plain." Yomi sunk down into the couch, feeling more comfortable than she had in two days. She had never been to a guidance counselor's office before, and from what Yomi saw, this was nice.

The machine-spider stopped. Dead Master continued to slide, just barely managing to keep her balance. She had been pushed through several walls, but seemed not to be too badly hurt overall.

The space she found herself in was a wide and open clearing. Around the edges, she could see the entrances to other parts of the maze. The creature had pushed her into some sort of central hub. This was good; it gave her more room to fight.

The Chariot-creature lunged forward and began to charge again. Dead Master struck the ground with her scythe, sending a shockwave along the ground and through the air toward the creature. It struck the face, crushing it. If only she could get in one good swing, she could end this. She gripped her scythe tightly, preparing for the charge. All around the clearing Her chains wove themselves into intricate patterns; a spider's web of metal links.

She grabbed onto one of her chains at the last moment, pulling herself to the side. The Spider creature charged past her. This time she had enough room to avoid the legs of the monster. Dead Master struck the ground twice, sending two shockwaves at the creature's legs. She smiled as she saw the spider-monster's legs buckle from the impact. Success.

"I'm sorry that I barged in on you like that," Yomi began, "I'm not normally like that. I've just been having a difficult time lately."

Saya set down a cup of tea in front of Yomi. "It's no trouble. Your name is Yomi Takanashi, right?" Yomi nodded. "Well, Miss Takanashi, That's why I'm here in the first place." She then walked back over to the microwave and began pouring coffee into a cup, then adding cream and sugar

"What are you making there?"

"Café-au-Lait. I feel in the mood for it right now." Saya put the cup into the microwave. as the slow drone of the microwave began, Saya turned back to Yomi. "Now, what seems to be troubling you?"

Dead Master walked over to the remains of the Spider Chariot. Most of the actual creature was a wreck, the last of its twitching dying down. Only the cart in the back was intact, as it had been largely outside of the blasts Dead Master had shot at the thing.

The blonde girl from the back of the chariot stood. She had pulled a sword from somewhere, and raised it in a challenge to her opponent. What struck Dead Master first about the girl were her legs; in place of feet, the girl had what appeared to be a pair of enormous wheels on the ends of braces. There was something else about her; something familiar, as if from another life.

The girl rushed at her. At a thought from Dead Master, the net of chains around the clearing closed in on the blonde girl. Two wrapped around the girl's legs, another around her sword arm, and yet another around the girl's torso. The girl struggled on, trying to fight off the chains that even still surrounded her. Finally, she collapsed at Dead Master's feet, unable to go any farther. She was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

Dead Master began to swing her scythe back and forth, slashing at every exposed part of the girl's body. A few of the cuts the other girl was able to parry, but most of them connected. Dead Master smiled. How the tides had turned.

How could she phrase her problem in a way that Saya would understand? Even she was not quite sure what was going on with the world around her. And then Dead Master; how could she explain _that_ to Saya? The only ones who even knew about the existence of Dead Master's world were herself and Mato, and as things stood Yomi had her doubts about Mato. She had to try, though.

Yomi took a sip of her tea. "What if I told you I woke up yesterday morning and everything was different? That people I'd known for years suddenly acted as if the didn't know me, and people I've never met act like we're the closest of friends. That I know for a fact that everything around me changed, but no one around me even acknowledges that anything is different from the way it was before. I feel like I'm out of place; that I don't belong here."

"Why don't you just kill yourself then? That would solve all of our problems."

Yomi blinked. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just ignore me."

"I'm pretty sure you just said—"

"It was a joke! That's all! Just a really bad joke!"

"That really wasn't very funny. Are you sure you're really a guidance counselor?"

"Just forget I ever said anything. So back to your problem; you're feeling like you're out of place?"

"What do you think I should do? I don't know what's happening to me or what to do about it."

Saya took her cup of Café-au-lait out of the microwave. "What you're talking about sometimes happens after a big transition in your life. It can be really disorienting if you let it get to you."

"That doesn't explain why I keep seeing Dead Master, though" Yomi murmured to herself.

There was the sound of breaking china. Yomi looked up just in time to see Saya violently grab her by the shoulders. The calm expression on her face was completely gone, replaced with one of shock and anger. "How do you know about Dead Master?"

"Saya-chan-sensei?"

"Tell me! How did you find out about your other self?"

"After what happened, how could I not know about Dead Master?" A flood of images began playing through Yomi's mind.

Dead Master raised her scythe a final time. A look of absolute glee played across her face. Yellow blood dribbled from dozens of slash wounds on the helpless other girl's body. The other girl's sword lay just out of reach. This would be the end.

There was the clanging sound of metal on metal as her scythe stopped in midair. Dead Master turned to the side to see that the red-eyed girl had returned. She had caught Dead Master's swing with her enormous sword, preventing the final blow from landing.

Dead Master snarled. She pushed off from the interloper's sword, then readied herself to attack again. At that instant there was a rumbling sound, and the two girls sank into the ground, leaving Dead Master alone in the clearing.

The door slid open. Standing in the doorway was a diminutive, brown-haired figure that Yomi knew all too well.

"Yuu!"

Yuu looked at the counselor, a serious expression on her face. "Saya-chan, we have a problem."

Saya let go of Yomi's Shoulders. "I know." She stood and walked over to where she had dropped her cup. She grabbed a small dustpan and a handful of paper towels off of the counter and began to clean up the mess. "Dead Master is acting strangely. Something's gone very wrong with her."

Yuu shot a look over at Yomi. "Saya-chan, is it alright to talk about this in front of her."

"She already knows—or knows _something_ at least. I haven't had time to get details from her." Saya dumped the shards of porcelain into a wastebasket along with the used paper towels. She then made a fresh cup of café-au-lait for herself and sat down next to Yomi. "Now I want you to tell us everything. Start at the very beginning."


	5. Chapter 5: Yomi's Tale

Chapter Five: Yomi's Tale

Yomi Sighed. "I don't really know exactly when everything started. I Guess you could say it all began when Mato and I were put in different classes at the beginning of this year. We'd been friends since the beginning of Junior High. Really close friends. We both thought nothing would change. Our clubs still met in the same place, and we still went over to one another's houses almost every day.

"But then Mato met Yuu. She was the Basketball team's manager, and the one who would deal with the bumps and scrapes Mato always seemed to get. Mato started spending more and more time with her, so I sort of fell behind. I didn't have any other friends. I'd only just moved back to Japan from Germany at the beginning of Junior High, and I hadn't met anyone else really. I was completely alone.

"Then I began to feel odd. It was like there was another person inside me, calling out to me. I would catch glimpses of her in my mind from time to time. Then, one night when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, the girl appeared in front of me. She asked me, 'Do you want to disappear, Yomi? Do you want to leave them all behind?' I said I wasn't sure. She then replied, 'I'll stay with you until you are. All you need to do is say 'Yes.'

"It was three days later that I finally said yes. It happened just before Volleyball practice. I told the captain that I had to leave early and went to the overlook Mato and I used to love going to. I wanted the last part of my old life to be in a place that reminded me of the happy times with Mato. The girl I had seen before was waiting for me there; she already knew I was ready. I asked her who she was, and she told me, 'I am Dead Master. I am a part of you. And from now on, I _am_ you.'

"She was true to her word; Dead Master took me to her world, where none of them could see me. She was in control of me, but I didn't care. I wanted the same thing she wanted. But then that girl came for me. Mato. Black Rock Shooter. She drove Dead Master out and brought me back.

"I thought that would be the end of strange things happening to me, but then, yesterday morning, I woke up and everything was different; like it is right now. It's like Mato and I barely even met. At the same time there's this psycho girl named Kagari that she and my mom say I've known for years even though I've never seen her before."

Yomi took a long sip of her tea. Saya, who had been watching Yomi intently the entire time, finally spoke. "That's…quite a story Yomi-chan"

"You do believe me, don't you? I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth!"

Saya took a long, thoughtful drink of her café-au-lait. "You said that the two of you have known one another since the beginning of Junior High?"

"That's right; last year."

"Yomi-chan, you and Mato-chan are freshmen. You haven't even been in Junior high for a full month."

"That's another difference. Somehow I've lost an entire year. All I can say is that when I went to bed two nights ago I was a second-year student.

"I see.

"Then there's also the problem of Dead Master. She never went away—not really. She's been there this entire time, just in the back of my mind. Ever since yesterday morning, though, she's been showing up more and more. I keep seeing her fighting some other girl that looks like the Kagari girl. I think she's trying to get control again, the way she did before. It's like she's absolutely desperate."

Saya shot a look to Yuu. "Can people's other selves even do that?"

Yuu Frowned. "Most of the time I'd say no, it's impossible. A person's other self doesn't have that kind of free will. They're fueled by the emotions of the normal self and fight by instinct. I was a special case, because Yuu chose to make me that way. So some other selves can develop free will of their own, but what Yomi is talking about goes far beyond that. It almost sounds as if Dead Master _possessed_ her, like some kind of demon."

"That's not the only difference, though. I've had Black Gold Saw tracking this new version of Dead Master. She isn't acting like an other self should. It's like she's enjoying the fights. And she's very vindictive about it. It's not like the Chariot who fights on instinct, or Black Rock Shooter who fights for a cause. This new Dead Master is fighting for the joy of fighting."

Yuu sighed. "Taking all of this together, along with Yomi's story, it looks like there's only one possible explanation. Yomi-chan isn't the same Yomi-chan that Mato met after the ceremony. Somewhere, somehow, there's another world out there. Not like our other world, where it's linked with this one, but something else; some other reality that runs parallel to this world. That reality must be something like a mirror of ours; almost everything is the same, but it's not identical."

"Now you're talking crazy."

"Don't laugh, Saya-chan. It's not as ridiculous a concept as you might think. The other world where people's other selves fight is a concept that would be difficult to swallow for anyone that has not had direct experience with it. Imagine trying to explain Black Gold Saw to an outsider. They'd think _you_ were crazy."

Saya frowned. "Hmm. So, another reality. And on it another Yomi, another Mato, and another Yuu?"

Yuu nodded. "And another Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master. That reality seems to have an other world attached to it as well, though it seems the dynamics between worlds are different."

"Yes, It would be interesting to study that reality and see what the differences are, wouldn't it?"

"And at some point yesterday night, that world's Yomi Takanashi and Dead Master took the place of their counterparts in this world."

"This is all good," Yomi cut in, "but we still have the question of how I get home."

Yuu fidgeted. "That's difficult. Since we don't know exactly how you got here in the first place, we don't even know where to begin in getting you home. We'll look, but it may take some time before we figure out what happened."

Yomi frowned. "What you're telling me is that I should make the most of the situation, is that right?"

Yuu nodded. "Exactly. At least until we figure out how to get you home."

"But that could take years! What if I don't get to see her until we're both old?"

Yuu put a reassuring hand on Yomi's shoulder. "Don't worry, Yomi-chan. It won't take years for you to get back. I promise that I'll get you back home as soon as I can. Saya-chan and I are going to do everything we can."

"And Dead Master?"

"It's your life, Yomi-chan. Not hers."


	6. Chapter 6: Running Just to Stay In Place

wow...has it really only been four days since I last uploaded a chapter?

since last Thursday a combination of college, two school clubs, and preparing for Anime Boston have fried my brain. Then tonight I realized that I really wanted to finish up and upload this chapter. Amazing what a little Dragonforce can do to motivate me...

Anyway, here you go!

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><p>Chapter Six: Running Just to Stay In Place<p>

"Make the best of it, huh?"

Yomi sat in class, now taking notes. By the time she had returned, it was already after lunch and Mato returned to her seat. With the time she had spent in Saya's room Yomi had not eaten. Her stomach had growled regularly throughout class until break, when she managed to struggle down the food she had brought.

She could see the back of Mato's head from where she was sitting. It was no more than two rows in front of her, yet to Yomi she may as well have been on the other side of a canyon. She was Mato and yet not Mato; the same girl that had said she liked Yomi's height and last name the first day of Junior high, yet not the girl Yomi had known. Not the girl that she had shared everything with for more than a year. Not the girl who had come to rescue her from Dead Master.

Yomi would hopefully not have to wait too long before she could return to her own world. Still, dealing with this would be much easier with Mato back by her side. Well, what reason was there that she could not? After all, there she was, two rows in front of Yomi. Perhaps this version of Mato did not know Yomi very well yet, but that could change. It could all be almost the way it had been before; the two would go to see movies together, sleep over at one another's houses, and most importantly they could help each other through their problems. All it would take would be a little encouragement.

Yomi sighed. It was not in her nature to do something that bold. She tended to simply allow things to happen to her, and hated herself for it. She wished that she could be more like Mato at that moment. Mato would not let this situation get the better of her. Mato was the kind of girl who made things happen, and would not take no for an answer.

The bell rang for the end of classes, and the students around her began filing out to their various clubs. Several of the girls from class converged on Mato's desk. "Hey! Mato-chan! The shrine near the train station is holding a festival."

"All of the girls are thinking of going as a class. Do you want to come?"

"Well, I…" Yomi could feel Mato's gaze on her. "No, that's alright."

"Aww, why not?" The girl sounded disappointed.

"Yeah, come on, all of the other girls are going!" one of the other girls responded, "It'll be fun!"

"No, that's alright. I'll see all of you later."

Yomi heard Yuu's words once again in her mind. "It's your life, Yomi-chan…"

It was now or never; Mato was packing up her bags, getting ready to go to basketball. Yomi stood, the sound of her chair scraping the floor echoing in the quiet classroom. Resolutely, she walked up to where Mato was sitting. This was something she had to do for herself.

Mato looked up as she saw Yomi's shadow fall across her desk. "Hey, Yomi-chan? Do you want to—"

"Let's go to the festival together!" The words came tumbling out of Yomi's mouth before Yomi could think twice about them.

Mato blinked. "To the festival…"

"You want to be friends, right? We can go together, as friends!"

"Wow, Yomi-chan, that's amazing! That's exactly what I was going to ask!"

"It's the kind of thing you would," Yomi muttered under her breath.

"Huh? What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. One more thing, Mato; Just call me 'Yomi.' You don't need to be formal with me at all."

Mato's smile could have melted a frozen lake. "Okay, Yomi! I'll see you tomorrow at the festival then. How about around four-ish?"

"Sure thing!" Yomi smiled both to Mato and to herself. _Everything the way it was before _she thought to herself.

The next afternoon Yomi had her mother help her into her Yukata. The promise of spending Saturday with Mato had made her evening with Kagari bearable, though only just. Yomi was still convinced that the girl was mentally unbalanced, and that the fixation she seemed to have on Yomi could be dangerous for them both. Still, it was over now; that was the important thing.

She felt light on her feet as she crept down the stairs. Her situation, if not looking up, was at least now much better. She did not think that anything, for the time being could go wrong. She reached for the front doorknob.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yomi turned to see Kagari in the doorway to the living room. "Kagari-chan?"

"I asked you where you think you're going in such a rush? Surely you haven't forgotten about me."

Yomi had not. She had hoped that she could quietly leave the house without Kagari noticing. "Well…you see…there's this festival today. I'm going to be meeting someone from school.

"You're not going."

"Wh…what?

"I said you're not going to go."

Yomi felt a flash of anger, something very rare for her. "Why not?"

"I want to spend the day with you."

"I'm going to the festival. I promised Mato I would meet her there."

"I said I want to spend the day with you."

Yuu's words to her the previous day passed through Yomi's mind once again. "It's your life, Yomi-chan, not hers." That almost seemed to be becoming Yomi's mantra in this world. Of course, it was not really her life. Her life was back with Mato in her own world, with her own version of Yuu, with her German books and second-year classes. This was the life of the other her; the Yomi Takanashi from this world. The one that, from what she could tell, was shy and who gave in to Kagari's every demand. Still, Yomi herself was the one who had to live it for now, and the decisions had to be hers.

Yomi looked Kagari straight in the eyes. "Why don't you come with us then?"

Kagari raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Come with Mato and me! Don't just keep yourself locked away in here!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I can't go to a festival in this chair!"

"I'll push you."

"It'll be hot. And people will stare!"

"It'll do you a lot of good to get out and see the sun."

"I'd rather stay here anyway!"

"It won't kill you if we don't spend one evening together!"

"It's all your fault, you dumb bitch! I can't walk because of you!"

The images of the blonde girl Yomi had fought passed through her mind again. She remembered especially the girl's legs; how they were replaced with wheels. "You're not trying," she muttered.

Kagari glared at her. "What did you say?"

"You're not trying to walk!" It exploded from Yomi with more force than she thought she had. "You're not even making an effort to go on with your life! You're just wallowing here in pity!" Yomi walked through the front door and slammed it behind her. Then she ran, as best her Yukata would allow her to, until her house was out of sight. She wished she could banish her thoughts about Kagari as easily from her mind.


	7. Chapter 7: Festival and Friendship

Chapter Seven: Festival and Friendship

"Are you alright? You look like you ran here."

Yomi was out of breath. She had not run exactly; her geta prevented her from doing that. However, she had moved as quickly as she possibly could away from her house with that girl in it.

"I'm fine," she panted, "I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be late." Mato gave her an odd look. Yomi stood up straighter and smiled. "Don't worry about me! Let's just go have fun!"

The sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The strings of lanterns were lit, bathing the entire area in multi-colored light. It was a proper festival, with vendors lined up in stalls. Yomi could see small stands selling masks and jewelry, carnival games, and snack food vendors. Here and there the two of them also ran into some of their classmates. Some Yomi recognized with difficulty, though she was thrown off by the fact that they all looked younger. Others she did not recognize at all, and simply pretended she knew.

When the girls got tired of walking around, the two of them sat down on a bench under one of the trees. Then they began to talk. Yomi could almost fool herself into thinking that she was already back home.

"…So then Kohacchi-senpai says 'we're going to do a lap around the entire eastern edge of the school!' and this one girl just faints right away."

Yomi giggled. "She sounds like she really wants you to win

Mato sighed. "It's so easy to talk to you, Yomi."

Yomi smiled. "You too! I think I could go on for hours."

"It's weird, though."

"Oh? How is it weird?"

"It's like…it's almost like you've known me for years. You always know exactly what to say, and you say it so easily. Like you're a good friend that I made a long time ago but I don't remember at all.

"What if…" Yomi trailed off. Did she really want to tell Mato this? In Saya's office she had been desperate for anyone's help and had blurted out everything, but normally it was a topic she avoided. For weeks afterward she had not even discussed it with her own Mato; the one that had saved her. It had just been too tender of a subject.

Mato was still waiting for Yomi to continue. "What if what?"

"What if I said that you and I _have_ met before? In another time, in another world, you and I met and we became really good friends. We spent years together; going to see movies, camping in the woods and talking about which classes we dislike and what we wanted to be when we grew up." Yomi looked around her at the bright lanterns hanging from strings and from the vending stalls. "Even going to festivals a lot like this one."

But then you started to drift away from me. A little bit at first, then slowly more and more. You didn't notice it, and I tried to pretend it wasn't happening. By the time we noticed what was happening it was too late; I had been taken away from you."

"What happened then?"

Yomi smiled. "You came to save me."

There was a long silence. Mato stared off at a stall where one of their male classmates was trying to impress his friends on a rope ladder game.

"Wow, Yomi. I hope we can become as good of friends now as you say we did."

"Hey! Hey, Mato!" The call came from behind the two of them. The two of them turned.

Yomi was surprised to see Saya and Yuu walking toward them holding large balls of cotton candy, both wearing yukatas in bright colors.

Mato waved. "Hi Yuu! Hi Saya-chan-sensei!"

Saya smiled at Yomi. "Fancy running into the two of you here. Are you two enjoying yourself?"

"Yes," Yomi replied. There was something behind that smile, Yomi thought. "Yes, it's been wonderful!"

Yuu pointed excitedly "Hey! Mato! Look! There's a basketball-throwing game over there! Come on! Let's see if your three-pointers are as good as you say they are!" She began eagerly dragging Mato over to the booth.

Mato laughed. "Okay, okay Yuu! You don't have to pull!"

Yomi watched the two girls who were her friends back in her own world. Then she turned to Saya. "You want to talk about something, right?"

Saya nodded. "Right. If you're going to spend any amount of time in this world, I think that it's time I tell you how the situation lies. Maybe that way we can avoid any misunderstandings."

Dead Master walked through the maze. Somewhere, there had to be another portal to where the red-eyed one had taken Chariot. She could not help but feel that the red-eyed girl was crucial to her returning home, but Dead Master had no idea how.

She felt a familiar presence. It was watching her from somewhere, though she could not tell exactly. She looked around, trying to find out where it was. It could not possibly be her imagination; that feeling was too familiar.

There she was, up on top of the wall. Black Rock Shooter. And yet it was not quite her; Dead Master could see that at once. The differences were subtle, but unquestionably there. Like everything else in this world that was and yet was not her own.

Black Rock Shooter dropped to the floor of the maze. For a long moment, the two girls stared at one another, neither one daring to move. Then, finally, Black Rock Shooter extended her hand. An offer of friendship? Of assistance? Perhaps.

Dead Master looked into the eyes of her most hated enemy. Then she turned down the passage she had intended to go before the other girl had appeared. Even though this was another world, she would not join forces with Black Rock Shooter so easily. She would find her way home without any help.

There was the sound of footsteps approaching her from behind. Within a few moments Black Rock Shooter entered Dead Master's peripheral vision. It seemed that she would have company. Dead Master smiled. For now, that was alright.

The two girls walked side-by-side, onward toward their shared goal.


	8. Chapter 8: An Understanding

Ahh, back from Anime Boston and on a normal schedule again. It was exhausting, but a load of fun. And now that i've had a good sleep since then, here's another installment.

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><p>Chapter Eight: An Understanding<p>

Saya sat down beside Yomi on the bench.

Yomi looked over at her. "Okay, what is it you want me to understand?"

Saya took a deep breath, then began. "There's…someone very precious to me that is trapped in that other world.

"Who?"

"Yuu."

Yomi blinked. "But Yuu's right over there with—"

"That isn't Yuu. Yuu is in the other world. That's Strength in Yuu's body."

"Strength?" That sounded familiar. Was that the name of a girl in Dead Master's world? Yes, that was it. The white-haired one with the arms. As Dead Master she had caught glimpses of Strength occasionally, though the two had never fought.

"How can that happen?"

"Yuu was constantly in pain back when we were in school; both in school and at home, Yuu felt like she wasn't wanted. She was the first one here to find out about the other world, and the way to travel between them. When her world reached a point where Yuu finally couldn't bear it anymore, travel there was exactly what she did. She traded places with Strength, preferring a life of constant fighting to this world. I had tried to be a good friend to her, though sometimes it was difficult. In the end, when she decided to leave this world, I promised to protect her as well as I could."

"If what you're saying is true, that means…"

Saya nodded. "Your Dead Master is dangerous. We've already seen that with what she did to Chariot; She would have killed Chariot if my other self had not intervened. As Dead Master is, she might even be more dangerous to that world than Black Rock Shooter herself. Now, I want to get you out of here, of course I do. However, protecting Yuu is the most important thing in the world to me. If Dead Master attacks her…"

Yomi gulped. "I understand."

"Your Dead Master is different from the Other Selves in this reality. If she dies, I don't know what will happen to you; maybe the same thing as what happens to us, maybe not. We don't know. But I can't allow her to threaten Yuu."

"I'll try and do what I can, but I can't really control Dead Master. You may have to."

"I'm sorry, Yomi-chan. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Yomi suppressed her desire to sob. "It's fine. Actually, I know someone who would do the exact same thing. If it were me in danger, that is."

The two of them sat in silence for a minute. Saya took another bite of her cotton candy.

Finally, Yomi spoke. "There's one thing I've been wondering."

"What is it?"

"I'm here in this world. What happened to this world's Yomi?"

"Well, you were sent here, so it's quite possible that she was transported to your world, and is undergoing the same kinds of things you are here."

"Back in my world…" Yomi thought about that for a moment, about the other version of her going to school every day in her classroom and uniform, meeting up afterschool with her Mato, coming home to her happy, loving mother. She felt a sudden pang of jealousy for what the other her had.

Something caught her eye from one of the vendors near them.

Yomi held up a small lanyard, on the end of which was a star-shaped pendant. She had a flashback to a very similar pendant that had been given to her. It had been a symbol of friendship then.

"Excuse me, sir? How much is this?"

The two girls had reached a dead end in the maze. They had been walking for what seemed like a long time; neither one speaking, neither one acknowledging the existence of the other. At the same time, it was as if a silent understanding had passed between them. Both knew that they shared the goal of finding the red-eyed girl.

Dead Master placed her hand on the wall. So close to their—_her_ goal, yet so far. She could feel that something important was on the far side of the wall, if only she could get to it. Dead Master looked over at Black Rock Shooter. The other girl raised her cannon, pointing it at the wall. Understanding the girl's gesture, Dead Master stepped back. She heard the sound of the other girl's Rock Cannon powering up, then two explosions. A pair of light blue spheres of energy connected with the wall, throwing off a cloud of dust and stones.

Mato and Yuu were coming back. Mato was holding a large plushy bird with rainbow-colored wings.

"You're definitely an amazing shot, Mato!"

"Oh, come on, I'm not that good! I almost missed with two of the balls."

"I thought that last one was going to bounce out, but you made it in the end!"

"Looks like there's a reason you're one of basketball team's main players."

"Hey, Yomi!" Mato waved. "Sorry about that, but Yuu always likes me to play those kinds of games. Did you get along well with Saya-chan-sensei?"

Yomi nodded. "We talked for a bit."

Saya smiled. "Oh yes, we had quite a good conversation." Saya turned to Yuu. "Yuu-chan, if I remember right, you wanted to get a few firecrackers to set off?"

"Ooh! Yes! Thanks for reminding me, Saya-chan!" Yuu turned to Mato. "I'll see you later, Mato!"

Mato and Yomi waved to the two girls as they left.

"Saya seems nice," Mato said.

"She's alright," Yomi replied. She looked at the plushie. "You really must be a good shot at basketball."

"Eh, not really. I used to play against the boys on the block, so I picked it up a little from them."

"Don't be silly. You're an excellent player!"

Mato smiled. "Thanks, Yomi." She held out the bird to her. "Here, I won this for you."

Yomi took the plushy from Mato. "Thank you!" She held out the lanyard she had picked up from the vendor. "Here, I want you to have this. You can use it as a phone strap or on your bag." Yomi smiled. "Think of it as a symbol of our friendship."

Mato took it and held the charm to her chest. "Thank you." Yomi could tell that Mato was blushing, and from the heat of her cheeks, she knew that she was blushing as well.

There were several muffled booms from overhead. Yomi looked up to see bright, multicolored sparks in the sky above them. The fireworks had started. Yomi took Mato's hand.

As the dust cleared, Dead Master could see that the Rock Cannon's two blasts had blown a hole clear through the wall. The two of them stepped through, Black Rock Shooter closely following Dead Master. On the other side, they saw The red-eyed girl supporting the still-injured Chariot.

For an instant, all four girls glared at one another. Red, Yellow, Blue and Green, they stood rooted to the spot, poised on the brink of action. Finally, despite her injuries, Chariot stood. The red-eyed girl tried to stop her, but Chariot pushed her away. Raising her hand, Chariot summoned her sword. A moment later the red-eyed girl did the same. Black Rock Shooter glared and leveled her Rock Cannon. Chariot readied herself. Dead Master Smiled.

And then the battle began.


	9. Chapter 9: The Queen's Croquet Game

Gah! Gomenasai everyone for being so late! the last two weeks have been crazy here, and I really did not have a lot of time to sit down and write for fun! I hope this chapter is worth the wait for you...

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><p>Chapter Nine: The Queen's Croquet Game<p>

Monday morning, Yomi walked toward the station the way she always did. Now that she was slightly less distracted by the strangeness of her situation, she started looking at the familiar houses to see if any of the people were different. The nice old cat lady was still there; a ginger tabby and a calico were sunning themselves on the wall. That college-age Otaku boy seemed to not be in the same house; the line of figurines was missing from his window. The foreign businessman's house was gone completely, replaced with what appeared to be a brand new building. In all, Yomi counted no fewer than six houses with different residents before she reached the station.

There was someone waiting just outside the station, right next to the timetable. Even from a distance, Yomi could see exactly who it was. Mato was facing the other direction, reading a notice posted on the door, but Yomi recognized the dark twintails sticking out of the back of her head.

Yomi called over to her. "Good Morning!"

Mato turned, then waved. "Good morning, Yomi!"

As Yomi ran up to the other girl, she noticed a small charm suspended off of the zipper pull on Mato's bag. Seeing the small blue star gave her a warm feeling inside her soul.

Yomi smiled. "You waited for me!"

"Of course, silly!" Mato said, "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, of course you did."

"If I promise I'm going to meet someone, then I'll be there to meet them!"

Yomi chuckled. "Yes. I that I do know about you."

The two of them were lucky enough to find actual seats in the train. As it lurched into motion, the girls began talking about school.

"The basketball training retreat is next weekend. It's mainly for people who are going to be playing a lot in the tournament. I say there's no chance of them taking a little first-year like me, but Yuu keeps insisting that I'll be picked. She's always ridiculously optimistic about stuff like that, she always has been."

Yomi was staring off into space. Not that she was not paying attention, far from it. However, mentioning Yuu had brought the festival back into her mind.

Mato leaned over to look her in the face. "Is everything alright?"

Yomi jumped. "Alright? Everything's…fine!"

Kagari had not spoken since the day of the festival. Not that Yomi was not relieved to be free from Kagari's demands, but it frankly worried her. It was as if the blonde girl was planning something, and that could not be good. Yomi still had no idea why Kagari blamed her for her condition, and she was not eager to find out. Once again, Yomi wished she could be back in her own world already, sitting beside her own Mato while watching the suburban landscape flash by them.

"Say, Mato?"

"Yes?"

"After clubs, if it's not too much trouble, would you like to go to the park? We could go back to my house for dinner afterward. My mother would love to have you there!"

Mato blinked. "Today?"

"If you don't want to or you have plans, it's alright. I just figured I'd ask."

Mato took Yomi's hands in both of hers. "I'd love to!"

Dead Master ducked a swing from Black Gold Saw and swung her scythe at Chariot. Chariot parried, skating easily back out of Dead Master's range. Dead Master Swung ad Gold Saw, aiming for her heart. Gold Saw sidestepped the attack, only to come within range of Black Rock Shooter's Rock Cannon. The attack charged, but Chariot charged in, using her sword to knock both cannon and girl away and sending the blast hurtling harmlessly off into space. As Chariot tried to bring her sword to bear for another attack on Black Rock Shooter, it was caught by Dead Master's scythe.

At that instant Black Gold Saw lunged toward Dead Master. She did not have enough time to bring up her scythe to block; the other girl was already within her guard. This very well could be the end.

There was a sudden sound of ringing metal as Black Gold Saw's sword was pushed wide of its mark, passing through the space beneath Dead Master's arm. Dead Master turned to see that Black Rock Shooter had Shot her Rock Cannon at just the right moment, knocking the sword off of its intended course. Black Gold Saw and Chariot pulled back, assuming defensive positions once again.

Dead Master's eyes met Black Rock Shooter's. Behind the other girl's cobalt eye-flame, Dead Master saw the same look of determination the other Black Rock Shooter wore. For some reason, that made her smile. She nodded her thanks, and the other girl responded in kind. Both turned back to face their enemies.

Dead Master raised her arm, conjuring dozens of chains that began to encircle the area.

The sun was low in the horizon by the time Yomi and Mato walked back to Yomi's house.

Yomi opened the front door. "Thanks for coming over!"

"Thanks for inviting me," Mato said as she took off her shoes. After setting them down neatly beside the door, she turned to smile mischeviously at Yomi. "Race you up the stairs!" Mato shouted.

"Wait a minute-I haven't taken off my shoes yet!" Yomi called after her, slipping off her shoes and chasing after her up the stairs. Mato had a head start, and was already almost at Yomi's door by the time Yomi rounded the corner at the top.

"You're late." The voice sent a chill down Yomi's spine. She spun on the spot to see a wheelchair emerging from the darkness.

"Kagari-chan!" Mato stopped mid-stride, looking at the blond girl with as much horror as Yomi felt.

Kagari smiled at Yomi, though her eyes were cold. "I waited for you to come home. I waited here all alone, and you never came."

"I…I…" Yomi was at a loss for what to say.

With a little effort, Kagari wheeled the chair to the top of the steps. "Do you know what it's like to wait for someone all by yourself?" With that, she stood unsteadily, barely able to balance.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to fall. I'm going to fall and get hurt. If I get hurt again, they'll all never forgive you."

"Wait!"

"They'll never forgive you if I die!"

As the blond girl tipped forward and began to fall Yomi's mind began to race.

Chariot raised her sword, ready to strike.

With instinctive reflexes born out of her volleyball practice, reflexes that she was certain the her from this world did not have, Yomi reached out for the falling girl.

One of Dead Master's chains descended at her command.

Yomi caught Kagari's arm.

The chain had wrapped itself around Chariot's sword hand.

Kagari spun to face Yomi, a look of shock on her face. "Yomi…"

"No, you don't!"

Another chain found Chariot's leg.

Kagari's expression darkened. "Let go of me!"

Just like she had done to Black Rock Shooter back in her own world, Dead Master had strung up Chariot with her chains.

"Why, so you can throw yourself down the stairs?"

Dead Master advanced, gripping her scythe tighter.

"It's your fault, and now you're abandoning me too!"

Chariot's wheel-feet spun, sending off sparks from the ground, trying to get away.

"You say I did something to you. You say it's my fault that you're the way you are."

Black Gold Saw tried to move in-between Dead Master and her prey.

"That's right!" Kagari screamed, "You belong to me! It's all your fault I can't have a normal life, but you're mine!"

A crackling ball of blue light grazed the red-eyed girl's shoulder.

"You're not even trying to have a normal life! The only thing keeping you from walking on your own is that you don't want to!"

Black Rock Shooter launched herself at Black Gold Saw. The two of them tumbled out of Dead Master's way.

Mato nodded. "Yomi is right! You're not acting like you want to move on, and that's weird! It's completely weird!"

Chariot broke into a snarl of defiance, bearing her teeth. To Dead Master, it was like seeing her own reflection.

Kagari screamed in Yomi's face. "Why? Why does she have to come in here and ruin everything? Why is she calling you Yomi?"

Dead master raised her scythe, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Because Mato is the most important person in the world to me."

Chariot's head fell. Dead Master's slice had completely separated it from her body.

Kagari screamed, then crumpled to the floor.

Dead Master stood over her fallen victim, triumph lighting her face. Not far away, Black Gold Saw knelt defending herself with her sword, her attempts to protect Chariot having all proved in vain. Black Rock Shooter walked over to Dead Master. Both girls turned to face Black Gold Saw. Then, in unison, they raised their weapons.

Mato knelt to take a look at Kagari. "It looks like she just passed out. That's good. Yomi? Yomi, what's wrong?"

Yomi was not paying attention. Mato was fine, that was what mattered. Whatever had happened to Kagari, there was very little to do for her now. Yomi was more concerned with what she had _felt_ as Kagari had crumpled. It had been an emotion which was not hers; an emotion which made no sense for her to be feeling.

That emotion was triumph. Pure, unbridled triumph.


	10. Chapter 10: House of Cards

Chapter 10: House of Cards

That feeling still bothered Yomi the next day. All throughout classes the next day, she found herself playing that same scene again and again in her mind. After fainting, Kagari had slept for ten minutes. When she woke up again, all she did was smile softly and answer questions she was asked. It was as if she were a completely different person, and that simply could not be right.

As soon as the bell for lunch rang, Yomi was out of her seat. "Save a place for me, I have something I need to go do first," She called to Mato. She raced down the hall, and in another minute was standing in the door of the counsellor's office.

"Ah! Yomi-chan. I was wondering if I would be hearing from you today." Yomi would not call it animosity exactly, but there was a definite edge to Saya-chan's voice. "Would you like coffee or tea?"

"Saya, there's one thing I need to ask you about."

"I'd say we definitely do. But please, have some coffee."

It was only after both of them were sitting down with a cup of coffee each that Saya would let their conversation continue.

"So, do you want to talk about yesterday?"

Yomi nodded. "When I was arguing with Kagari-chan, something weird happened."

"Weird how?"

"It was sort of like being in both places at once. I wasn't just seeing what Dead Master was seeing, it was far beyond that. It was more like the time before when she had control, but I was also still me, in this world." She looked up at Saya. "That can't be right, can it?"

Saya swirled her tea before taking a long sip. "I can't be entirely certain about it. I don't even know my own Otherworld half as well as Strength does, let alone how your world's other selves are different. I can only give you a good guess at this point. First, though, answer me one thing; when you were arguing with Kagari, what did you want to do?"

"I wanted to tell her what she was doing to herself. What she was doing to me too."

"Just that; just tell her?"

"Of course! What else would I do?

"You're lying. You'd tried just telling her before, didn't you? That did nothing. I think what you really wanted to do was hurt her."

"What? Why would—"

"—Because you wanted to get back at her. I understand perfectly; she did nothing but abuse you the entire time you were here, and you wanted to make her suffer the way you had." Saya stood, and began to wash out her cup. "I don't know for certain, but I think that whenever your goals become the same as hers, Dead Master can take over. Back in your world, you secretly started to hate Mato for abandoning you for Yuu and, lo and behold, Dead Master appears, who hates Black Rock Shooter more than anything. Then, when you argued with Kagari, all you wanted was to hurt her, the way that Dead Master wanted to hurt Chariot. You're two sides of the same coin, and when you start thinking like her she becomes more powerful."

"What should I do then?"

"I don't see that there really is much you can do except be careful. But if you start feeling emotions that you don't think you should, or start feeling like you're inside Dead Master again, take a step back and think about the situation, and if it's something that leads you in the direction of Dead Master, then reconsider your actions."

Yomi finished her tea. "Thank you, Saya-chan." She looked at her watch, then stood. "I need to get to class."

Saya called to her as she left. "One other thing. It's about Mato."

Yomi stopped. "What about her?"

"You shouldn't become friends with her in this world."

"Why not?"

"You getting close to Mato brought Dead Master together with our Reality's Black Rock Shooter. Both of you are dangerous enough on your own, but put Dead Master together with Black Rock Shooter and that entire world could go up in flames."

"Isn't the whole point that we're trying to get me back to my own world, and that Dead Master would follow me?"

"That's the problem though. Even if you don't care anything about our otherworld, then do it for your own sake. You don't belong in this world, and growing attached to this world's Mato will just make it more difficult to go back where you came from."

"But I can't just ignore her! I mean; Mato is my oldest friend!"

"You keep forgetting that she's not _your_ Mato. She may look like her and act like her, but she _isn't_ her. She isn't the person you've known for more than a year, and she _certainly_ isn't the person that saved you. Or do you really believe that your relationship with her was so cheap that you could replace it? Because that's all your friendship with our world's Mato would be; you using her to replace your best friend. It's not fair to her, and not helpful to us."

It was as if Saya had slapped her. Her ears rang as Saya's accusation washed over her. Was it true? Was that what Yomi was trying to do? Recreate her old life in this new world?

Without saying another word, Yomi bolted from the room. She ran, ran the way she had the way she had on her second day in this upside-down world. She wanted to run away back to the way things had been before all of this.

Yomi stopped at the end of the empty hallway. Running was not going to send her home; not running in this world at least. She stared out the window into the school's courtyard. All the strange things that ever had happened to her had their root in that Other World. That was where she had to find her answers, not here.

As Yomi stared into the glass of the window, she saw the image shift. It was only in her mind, it had to be, but to her it became the horned figure of her other self. Dead Master's voice echoed in her head, and a silent dialogue began.

_What's wrong, my dear little Yomi? _

_You know perfectly well what's wrong. You've been listening in to everything, after all. Just like you always do._

_Oh, come now. I'm here to help you. Tell me what's troubling you. _

Yomi sighed. _Everything I'm doing here is completely pointless. Any friends I make, any place I go, I'm just wasting time. It's just like Saya-chan said; I don't belong here. _

_Did you really think that Saya could help you out of this? She doesn't care about you, not whether you get back home. She never has._

Yomi began pounding on the window. _I hate her! I hate them all! Kagari, Saya, Strength, all of them!_ She sniveled. _I…I want to go home! _

_By now you know that I am as trapped here as you are_. Dead master extended a clawed hand to Yomi, out of the reflection. _You need me to get out, and I need you_.

_Like before, you mean? _

Dead Master nodded. _Like before. _

Yomi stared at her other self for a long moment. It was strange how like and yet unlike the two of them were. Dead Master had the bearing of a queen; haughty and condescending. She was Yomi's other self, yet her opposite. If they were to find a solution to this, then was it not best for them to work as one?

She took Dead Master's offered hand. _"What other choice do we have?" _

And then Yomi felt herself falling.


	11. Chapter 11: Caucus Race

We interrupt this fanfiction because the author would like to shamelessly plug his own work.

Ladies, Gentleman, various intermediates, androgynes and others,

Hello and welcome to the ultra-special action-packed triple-update extrrrrravaganza! Yes, I have been doing something over the last month and a half, and it culminates today in more than 12,000-words total!

First off there are these new chapters for both of my running fanfiction, "And What Yomi Found There" and "Nanoha Magica: First Contact." So it's good news to all three of you following me!

But wait, that only makes two updates, doesn't it? Well, as a matter of fact, the very reason this update is so late is that I have been in the process of launching a project that I've had in the works for over seven months. Yes folks, I have written a piece of _original fiction_!

Do you like Magical Girls? Do you like dark Magical Girls? Well, this announcement is good news for you. My third update, more than three times as long as anything I have submitted yet, is the first chapter of my take on the Dark Magical Girl Genre. Whether the concept appeals to you or you just like how I write, please go to this entry on fictionpress and read it when you're done here:

s/3046865/1/

This us something I'm genuinely proud of, and I need an excuse for this thing to not just exist in my brain anymore. Knowing that people are reading it is what will do that for me.

We now return you to this fanfiction.

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><p>Chapter 11: Caucus Race<p>

The desert seemed to stretch on forever. Her own Otherworld had never been one of color, but even still this land was barren and gray by comparison. The gray ground below her feet was rough and cracked; a wasteland that had never known rain. Enormous pillars of gray stone jutted up through the parched earth toward the unformed gray sky above while great chasms split the landscape, sinking down to unimaginable depths. That was the vista which opened up before Yomi's eyes.

Yomi. Dead Master. It was impossible to think of them as separate anymore. Like the time before, Yomi had allowed Dead Master to take over. They had one mind, one body, one goal.

This desert was where the Red-eyed girl had run to ground after the death of Chariot. That had been a strange sight—one moment she had been there, the next the ground seemed to swallow her. It had taken a while to track her quarry down to this desert, but track the girl she had. No doubt the girl was planning some sort of last stand here; she must have some sort of reserve defense she had run to.

Dead Master raised her scythe to the sky. Well, no matter. It did not matter what possible defenses the Red-Eyed girl could muster against her. Not now that Dead Master was _whole_. The power she now wielded was more than enough. Focusing that power now, she called her two familiars to her side. From the ground burst two enormous skulls, easily a meter across each, and radiating green light from their hollow eye-sockets.

On a rock next to her, Dead Master's new companion sat and studied the land in front of them. Dead Master allowed herself a moment to study the other girl. It was amazing the similarities that this world's Black Rock Shooter bore to Dead Master's Nemesis. Yet behind those similarities there was a ruthlessness which her counterpart lacked. She showed as little expression as the other, but still it was there—an echo of the same excitement Dead Master felt well up within herself. They were the hunters, and the Red-eyed girl was their prey.

Dead Master walked over to the edge of a large fissure in the earth. Somewhere down there, she thought, the girl was somewhere down there. Dead Master let herself tilt forward and fall into the fissure in the earth. Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to fall into the black depths. Her two familiars followed her, keeping pace with the falling girl. She did not know how long she fell, the gray walls blurring past her. Presently, however, her keen senses became aware of a great red eye watching them from the floor below them.

A bolt of blue light streaked past her, seeking the center of the great eye. As they found their target they blasted open the ground, revealing a space hidden below. Dead Master turned around to see Black Rock Shooter falling not far behind her, Rock Cannon pointed downward between her boots. She smiled as the two fell through that hole, landing at last in the home realm of the one they had hounded so relentlessly.

Had Dead Master been a normal human in the human world that fall would have killed her. However, the laws which applied to that other world had little to no meaning for Dead Master and her kin. Gravity, acceleration, conservation of mass and energy, all were all little more than illusions in this world of emotions and dreams. Her landing was light as a feather on the ground below. With a swish of dark cloth Black Rock Shooter landed next to her.

The space they entered reminded Dead Master a little of her own realm. It was a sort of chapel; circular, almost like the pantheon of that other world's Rome. Carved columns of stone supported the great dome of the ceiling. Filling the hall was a horde of hooded figures. A hundred pairs of glowing white eyes watched the two girls advancing. All the while their chanting echoed to the vaulted ceiling.

_Dead…Dead…Dead…_

On the far side of this sea of cloaked figures was a raised platform or dais. The red-eyed girl stood there, sword in one hand, a watering can in the other. Behind her was nothing but the bare stone wall. Dead Master sent her two familiars soaring over the heads of the cloaked figures to attack the girl.

Bodies fell at Dead Master's feet as she advanced slowly across the room. Like a demon farmer harvesting her crop, Dead Master swung her scythe in wide arcs, cutting down the unresisting cloaked ones. Ahead her two familiars were keeping their target fully occupied.

The red-eyed girl kicked out at the skull rushing her, sending it careening off its course. She spun and brought her sword up just barely in time to block an assault from the other direction. The other skull had crept up behind her, rushing her while she was distracted.

Black Rock Shooter was the first to reach the dais, blue flame erupting from her left eye. Her Rock Cannon was gone, replaced by a sword. In an instant she was up the steps and flying toward the Red-eyed girl. Sparks flew in all directions as their swords met. The two stood, locked together for a moment by their equal strength. Then, with a swing of her enormous sword, The red-eyed girl sent her attacker flying backward. Black Rock Shooter landed midway up one of the columns, pushing off just in time to avoid the skull-familiar that the other girl had knocked careening after her.

Dead Master reached the Dais, letting the last of the hooded figures blocking her way crumple at her feet. Her green eyes blazed with the joy as she brought her scythe to bear, finally, on her prey.

The red-eyed girl parried Dead Master's swing, then ducked a lunge from Black Rock Shooter. She Swung her sword at Dead Master, aiming to cleave her in two, but had to bring the strike up short as she was attacked from both sides by the skulls. Dead Master brought her blade in an upward arc, but passed through the air that the other girl had occupied before sidestepping the swing. Both Dead Master and Black Rock Shooter lunged at the same moment, and their opponent brought her oversized sword up to block both of them simultaneously. All three blades locked against one another, scraping and sending off sparks

Just as rapidly as they had joined, the combatants flew apart, each steadying themselves. Black Rock Shooter Slid to a stop, then pointed her sword straight at her enemy. The Red-eyed girl crouched in a defensive posture. Dead Master brough her two familars to her side, then summoned her chains, building her web as she had done before.

A pulse passed through Dead Master's mind. Another presence; one very nearby. Dead Master could sense it, so could the Red-eyed girl. Was this new person an ally or enemy? Neither one could tell. Dead Master followed the feeling of that pulse back along the direction of the new presence. No, that could not be right. Its origin—or as near as she could tell—was Black Rock Shooter.

_Yomi!_ It was Mato's voice. Not _her_ Mato, but the one from the new world.

_Yomi, are you there? Yomi, what's going on?_


	12. Chapter 12: Shaking

Ahh, finally having another update to AWYFT in so long feels really good. You would think that writing 1,000 words would be easy to write in less than three months...and I'm sorry for the wait everyone. Problem is that this is sort of an action chapter, and those are the hardest for me to write, and i've had so many other things come up this semester that it was difficult to get myself in the right mindset to write...but that's all changed. and here's chapter 12 for you, everyone! Special thanks to Ying Fa Xang, Tachibana Wish, FaceMeltor, and all the rest of you that have waited patiently for this. I'm hoping chapter 13 will be up soon.

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><p>Chapter 12: Shaking<p>

Part of Dead Master's mind, the same part that remembered this girl, was surprised. Mato? Here? Why? How was that even possible? This world's Mato did not know anything about the otherworld.

Her hesitation lasted only a moment, however. _What do you want with her, girl? _It was like Yomi's voice and yet not; haughty, condescending.

She could feel Mato's hesitation within Black Rock Shooter. _What have you done with Yomi?! _Mato demanded.

Dead Master smiled. _Why, I haven't done anything to her. On the contrary, I'm going to grant her greatest wish. Our greatest wish. _

_Yuu told me you were in trouble, Yomi! Please, tell me what's going on here! _

There was a great rumbling deep within the ground. A boulder, dislodged from the ceiling high above them, tumbled lazily through the air. Dead Master backpedaled as it crashed into the ground in between the two sides. Crouching atop the boulder was a figure only to be found in dreams or in the Otherworld. Two enormous, mechanical arms made up most of its bulk; black, angular, and powerful. Between these two arms, incongruous in her diminutive size, was a girl with glowing orange eyes and shock-white hair. Memories stirred in Dead Master's mind as part of her recognized the girl's face.

_Y-Yuu?!_ Mato's voice registered absolute incredulity.

A smile crossed Dead Master's lips. _So. You must be the Real Yuu Kotari then. _

"Hello, Dead Master." Those three words, the only ones yet spoken aloud, reverberated around the hall, sending echoes to mock their way through the dark corners of the room. It was an out of place sound, something which belonged to another world.

Dead Master made a mock bow. _The other me has heard so much about you. _

"You've been making quite a big problem for all of us here."

Dead Master stepped toward Yuu. _I have business with the girl behind you. Don't get in my way. _

The segmented metal tail which grew from the creature's back lashed back and forth. "This is my world, Dead Master. I'm not going to let you touch her."

Dead Master snarled. _We're going home, even if we have to tear this world apart to get there. _

Dead Master's twin skulls flew from behind her, careening toward Yuu from opposite sides. At the last possible moment Yuu jumped, propelled high into the air by her enormous arms. With a loud crash of shattering stone, Yuu landed behind Dead Master. Her fist slammed into the face of the first skull to reach her, sending it careening off toward the back wall, then raised her other hand to block the second skull's charge.

Dead Master stood back, watching and waiting. Fighting against two targets was difficult enough, so if she struck at the right moment she could slip in under Yuu's guard.

She did not have to wait long before her patience was rewarded. As Yuu gripped one of the skulls and crushed it between her hands, Dead Master rushed forward. In the instant before Dead Master felt her scythe connect, she saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Red fluid dripped down along the handle of her weapon. Dead Master broke into a maniacal grin. _Are you really so eager to die, red girl? _

The red-eyed girl gripped the edge of Dead Master's scythe where it had gone through her side. She had thrown herself in-between Dead master and Yuu. With a gush of the red fluid she succeeded in pulling the blade out, then raised her sword to guard.

A bubble of joy welled up in Dead Master's soul as the dance of combat began again. In order to protect Yuu, The red-eyed girl could not protect herself as well. Her scythe swings cut deep into the other girl's arms, her legs, her side, and face. Before long the girl was down to one knee, leaning heavily on her weapon. Dead Master triumphantly kicked the oversized sword out of the other girl's hand.

Black Rock Shooter stepped between Dead Master and the red-eyed girl. Mato's voice began to plead with Dead Master. _Yomi, please! I know you're in there somewhere! Talk to me!_

_Stay out of things you don't understand, little girl. Yomi doesn't need you anymore. _

_I can help! Please, Yomi, tell me what's going on and I'll help you!_

Dead Master sighed. This girl was getting annoying. At a simple thought, her chains wound themselves around Black Rock Shooter's wrists and ankles, pinning her down. It was too bad, Dead Master thought. She had liked this new version of her nemesis. But she came with far too much baggage. Dead Master stalked past her.

Black Rock Shooter strained against the chains binding her. _So you want to go home—what's wrong with that? It doesn't mean you have to do this alone!_

_We don't need your help. _

_But I_ want_ to help you, Yomi! We can all find the way back into your world together! _

Then, from the very back of their joined mind, a fragment of her mind rebelled. A fragment that still remembered a world of colors and blue skies, a world where she had laughed and played with that girl, a world in which they had gone to a festival, rebelled against all that was Dead Master. Wasn't this just exactly what Saya had tried to warn her about? Thinking like Dead Master drove her closer to bridging the gap that separated them.

In that moment Yomi Takanashi, not Dead Master, looked down at the red-eyed girl lying at her feet. Bleeding, maimed, this girl was somehow linked to that other woman who had tried to help her before. Yomi could feel Dead Master's murderous rage toward the red-eyed girl. It seemed so strange; an alien emotion that was not her own.

_No. _Yomi's voice echoed through their joined mind. She would not let this happen while she had any power. Yomi gathered all of the strength she could. _My name is Yomi Takanashi! _

Dead Master raised her scythe. Yomi screamed. _Nein! Nein! Mein Name ist Yomi Takanashi!_

There was a feeling of tearing; of her soul being ripped in two. Both halves of Dead Master screamed in agony as the part that was Yomi tried to pull away. Then Yomi, alone, fell into blackness.


	13. Chapter 13: Waking

And as I promised, here's another chapter. and It only took me a few weeks this time!

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><p>Chapter 13: Waking<p>

Yomi opened her eyes. Someone had removed her glasses, but the blur around her looked vaguely familiar. She was lying on a couch; that much she could tell. Beside her, in front of the couch, she could also see that there was a table. On it she saw the glasses. Sitting up and putting them on, she took a look around her.

She was in the counseling room, with golden light from the windows casting shadows along the wall. Saya sat in a chair a short way away, reading a book. As Yomi stirred, she looked up

"Ah, so you're awake. Good."

Yomi yawned. "Good afternoon. It's afternoon, right?"

Saya nodded. "Yes, it's afternoon alright." No animosity, no repressed anger; Saya was acting as if nothing were wrong.

"What happened?"

Saya laughed. "Yes, that's the question, isn't it? When you refused to let Dead Master kill Black Gold Saw it must have thrown you from her body. Strength carried you here; you've been in the other world for two hours."

"Two hours! I'm supposed to be in class! They must be wondering where I am!" Yomi tried to stand up, but she felt the room spin around her and fell back against the couch.

"Just relax, I told them you must have fainted from exhaustion and are taking some time to rest up here."

"Thanks."

"It's Strength you should be thanking. She was also the one that sent Mato in after you."

"Um, Saya-chan?" There was an awkward moment of silence while Yomi tried to decide what to say. Saya waited patiently for her to continue. "About what you told me earlier…"

Saya nodded. "I won't pretend that I'm sorry about what I said. Even now, I feel that it was something you needed to hear sooner or later, and I hoped that it would make it easier for you to go home. Guess it kinda backfired on me."

"Is Black Gold Saw alright?"

"Well she's not dead, if that's what you're asking. Beyond that I can't really say. She's been beat up pretty badly."

"And Yuu?"

"For now she's holding off both Dead Master and Black Rock Shooter. None of us are throwing in the towel just yet."

Yomi sighed. "I feel like I'm getting mood whiplash."

"They're called hormones, dear. Everyone your age has them."

The door to the room slid open. Before she had a chance to react a large blur rushed through the door and wrapped itself around Yomi's midriff, leaving her staring down at a pair of familiar short black twintails.

"Yomi! Thank god!"

Yomi giggled and hugged Mato close to her chest. "Yes, yes I'm fine."

There was a look in Saya's eyes. She still disapproved, Yomi could tell, but she was doing her best to suppress that feeling. There was a look of resignation in her eyes and, perhaps, of sadness.

Behind Mato, walking in at a more reserved pace, was Strength. "It's good to see you again, Yomi-chan. For a while there it looked like we'd lost you."

Yomi smiled back as she stroked Mato's hair.

Saya picked four mugs out of her collection. "I'll make coffee."

Yomi was finally able to pry Mato off of her waist when Saya set mugs of coffee down in front of them all. Mato took a long sip from her mug before beginning. "So what's this all about? Yuu didn't really tell me much, and everything you said in that weird other world didn't make a lot of sense."

Yomi fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. "What I'm about to say is going to sound unbelievable."

Mato shrugged. "Today's been full of unbelievable stuff."

"Well, I suppose the first thing you should know is that I'm not the same Yomi Takanashi that you started the school year with. I'm not even really from this world. I come from a parallel reality, where we've been good friends for a long time. There are some other differences too. Kagari doesn't exist over there, I'm pretty sure Saya-chan didn't either. And we didn't meet Yuu until early this year. Anyway, about a week ago I went to bed as usual in my world and woke up here. I'm not sure how it happened, but suddenly I found myself here in this world with my best friend acting like we'd only just met and some creepy blonde girl in a wheelchair acting like she owns me."

"Oh, so when you said that stuff at the festival, you really meant it?"

Yomi nodded. "All of it happened back in my world."

"I guess that explains a lot of the weird way you've been acting. But it still doesn't make sense. How did you get here in the first place?"

Yomi leaned back and sighed. "I have absolutely no Idea. And it doesn't seem that Dead Master does either."

"So pretty much no one knows what's going on? That's not good."

"What's worse is that it means I have no idea of how to get back home."

"Why not just stay here for a while," Mato suggested, "We've only just become friends."

"It's not that easy. The longer I'm here, the more problems that my Other Self causes. Just being in this world I cause problems for you. Dead Master's already killed once, and she would have killed Gold Saw and Yuu if you hadn't stopped me." Yomi hugged her knees to her chest, desperately trying to not break down. "I'm dangerous here no matter what I do."

Yomi felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Strength smiling down at her. "Don't worry about it. There's nothing you really can do except wait and watch and pray, so just keep calm and carry on."

"But I—I mean Dead Master almost—"

"We'll figure something out to get by. None of us are ready to give up just yet. Just don't try to force anything, and we'll do the rest."

Mato put her hand on Yomi's other shoulder and smiled. "Yuu's right. You know, it's like they say, good things come to—"

Mato trailed off. Yomi looked over at her. "Mato?"

Mato collapsed against Yomi's shoulder, her eyes glazed over.

"Mato!"

What in god's name was happening?

Yomi shook her friend's shoulders. "Mato! Wake up, Mato!"

Then, suddenly, as if nothing had happened, Mato's eyes refocused.

"Oh, thank god you're alri—" That expression on Mato's face. She had seen it so many hundreds of times before. That pouting glare that Mato used to tease her.

"Mato?"

"Geez, Yomi. I always have to come and save you."


End file.
